How Fast Can A Cruise Missile Fly? A Look At The Top Speed Of These Deadly Weapons

An artist's rendering of a Russian Kalibr cruise missile flying above clouds

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Missiles of various types have been around for ages, but the concept of a cruise missile, or a self-propelled guided missile, first surfaced in the early 20th century. Granted, the technology has come a long way since the concept first arose, and modern cruise missiles are incredibly significant weapon systems that are constantly evolving. There’s more than one type of cruise missile used by the world’s militaries, and they’re typically separated by speed. There are variations regarding launch systems and preferred targets, which is why there are air, naval, and land-launch systems.

There are anti-ship cruise missiles, nuclear-armed cruise missiles, and much more. Still, whatever type of system they are, all cruise missiles are fast and bring a great deal of destructive power. The speed range is wide, beginning with subsonic missiles capable of flying under Mach 1. Supersonic missiles fly at Mach 1-5, and hypersonic missiles are almost too fast to comprehend at Mach 5+. There are reasons why a military might employ a subsonic cruise missile over a hypersonic one, as speed isn’t necessarily the most important factor in their use.

Like the many propeller-driven planes used by the military, slower vehicles typically burn less fuel, offering a boost in range. Essentially, the slower the speed, the greater the range, though this isn’t always true of cruise missiles. That’s all well and good if you have the time and distance to strike a target, but using a faster launch vehicle can also be ideal, as they’re all but impossible to shoot out of the sky. Here are the different speed classifications of cruise missiles and how fast they travel.

Subsonic Cruise Missiles

A 3D rendering of three Tomahawk cruise missiles flying before a cloudy sunset

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The first cruise missile ever used in warfare was the German V-1, developed by the Nazis during WWII, though it was heavy, wildly inaccurate, and had a limited range of 150 miles. Since then, subsonic cruise missiles have improved in deployment capability, lethality, speed, and range. The most well-known in the West is likely the Tomahawk cruise missile, which is comparatively slow and costs less than faster systems. Tomahawk cruise missiles first arose in the 1980s as sea-launched vehicles capable of being fired from surface vessels as well as submarines.

Tomahawks fly around 550 mph, making them subsonic missiles. While fast, they fall short of breaking the sound barrier. Tomahawks are launched via solid-fueled booster rockets, and then the turbofan jet engine takes over to bring the weapon system to its targeted coordinates. They often fly very close to the surface to avoid detection, which burns fuel faster, but they have an impressive range of 1,500 miles. To find their targets, they use satellites to assist with navigation coupled with a TERCOM (Terrain Contour Matching) radar.

Tomahawks are capable of carrying both conventional and nuclear warheads, though nuclear arms control has removed the option via policy decisions. Tomahawk cruise missiles are one of the most oft-used weapons in the U.S. cruise missile arsenal. While they’re not the only cruise missile used by the United States, Tomahawks have proven themselves effective against a variety of targets, and they’re one of the most successful subsonic cruise missiles ever developed.

Supersonic Cruise Missiles

Supersonic cruise missiles are capable of exceeding the speed of sound: 767 mph. Some can approach Mach 5, though few come close. One that does is the Rahuga Kh-32, which is a Russian-made supersonic air-launched cruise missile that first entered service in 2016. There are many different supersonic cruise missiles, though the Kh-32 is one of the fastest currently in use by one of the world’s largest military powers.

It can cruise at Mach 4.6 (3,529 mph), though this appears to be a maximum speed, not a regular cruising speed. Kh-32s have a range of around 600 miles and are outfitted on the Tu-22M3M bombers. They are armed with a 1,102-lb. warhead, which can be delivered onto a target from the stratosphere at a height of 130,000 feet. Each cruise missile weighs about six tons, and only two can be carried by the bomber at a time.

They were designed to take out Carrier Strike Groups and are used primarily as a deterrent rather than a practical weapon for normal combat operations. Another incredibly fast supersonic cruise missile is China’s CJ-100/DF-100. These cruise missiles can fly up to 2,400 miles at Mach 5.0 (3,836 mph), putting them at the utmost limit of supersonic speeds. Every phase of their flight is done at supersonic speeds, making the CJ-100/DF-100 one of the fastest and most lethal cruise missiles used by any nation’s military in use today. Of course, there are faster vehicles being developed all the time.

Hypersonic Cruise Missiles

Hypersonic cruise missiles are a relatively new addition to modern military arsenals, and nations around the world are hard at work developing the technology. The first one used in warfare was Russia’s 3m22 Zircon, a hypersonic anti-ship cruise missile that is launched from naval vessels. It was first used to strike targets in Ukraine in February 2024. These missiles are so fast that they’re impossible to detect and shoot out of the sky with modern technology, significantly upping the game in terms of negating missile defense systems.

The 3m22 Zircon can reportedly fly up to Mach 9 (6,905.42 mph), which is almost too fast. They first entered service in January 2023, and Western nations have been working hard to keep up with Russia’s cruise missile innovations. Much of the information pertaining to the weapon system is unknown, but some details have emerged. It’s believed to operate in two stages, initially using solid rocket fuel and a scramjet. Its range is estimated to be around 600 miles.

Nations like the United States are working to create their own hypersonic cruise missiles, though none have been put into operation as of early 2025. Several projects may bear fruit, including the Hypersonic Air-breathing Weapon Concept (HAWC), a scramjet-powered missile without a warhead that uses its kinetic energy to take out targets. Another is the Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile, a scramjet-powered hypersonic cruise missile that would ideally reach Mach 8 (6,138 mph) and could be ready by 2027.